This is a
basic economic principle (but like many economic principles it’s not well
understood [or even defined]) that basically states people evaluate whether or
not the positive outweighs the negative.
For
teachers the reward has always been pretty small. Our paychecks are
unimpressive at every scale. Our benefits are likewise. Even the vaunted summer
vacation that everyone points to is really nothing. Most teachers spend their
summers in preparation for the next school year by developing curriculum or
attending workshops and seminars. Also, since the paycheck is unimpressive,
many teachers elect to do summer school in order to make ends meet.
The reward
was always stacked by one thing, students who learned. We take joy at watching
students learn and excel, knowing we’ve made a difference in their lives. These
students have never been the majority, either, but they were enough to keep us
going.
I sense
that shifting. It’s no longer enough for many of us. It’s a dying profession,
one that will not attract the types of teachers the students need, but rather
the ones that make themselves popular and easy.